Is it okay to be GAY?!

Is being gay a social problem?

Gayness has existed since times immemorial; it’s only since Indian people started asserting everything about their personalities openly that we are waking up to the situation.  Bewildered by their own ignorance, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, contrary to eons of cultural conditioning, are having to face the harsh reality that one of their sons, granddaughters, nephews or nieces is gay.  The situation is so glum that for many elders in India, the concept of homosexuality is an impossibility that they struggle to comprehend. 

If you look around, I am certain you can find an uncle or an aunt or a distant relative or a friend who has remained a ‘bachelor/spinster for life’, only because they were unable to declare their actual sexuality to the world for fear of ostracization by their family/community.  Either this, or they submit to the whims of their families and enter into fruitless and joyless matrimony, which if it lasts, is nothing short of torture. 

I am reminded of a recently married male patient who was advised to see me because he was not ‘participating’ in the marriage.  His mother expressed great hope in our therapy process and thought that he would be cured of his marital diffidence, whereas the bride’s side were vehement in their criticism of his family for conniving to get their ‘abnormal’ son married.  The girl even tried to touch him during therapy to demonstrate how he would recoil from her.  At home, the mother apparently stood guard outside the couple’s bedroom so that her son would not escape conjugal union with his spouse!  

What would you do in cases such as these?  How would you address a problem that was created to hide another problem?  How will you tell them that straight marriage is not the one-stop solution to all problems under the sun; that individuals will not be cured of their gayness if they are married off?

While all denominations of the LGBTQI spectrum face the ire of the ‘regulars’ to varying extents, it is the male-male relations that seem to receive the most flak from all quarters in our country.  I am not suggesting female-female relations are accepted without problems – they are not – but somehow men falling for men is considered to be more shocking and unacceptable. 

This is probably due to the expectations surrounding the male progeny; that he should be macho, in control of all situations, well educated, gainfully employed till retirement age, married to a woman who he can keep under his thumb, and able to procreate and raise children according to his family’s expectations.  Any deviation from this norm invites harsh criticism from all quarters, with an expectation of course-correction to fall back in line and ‘settle down’. 

Is homosexuality a disease?

Zoologists have observed homosexual proclivities in animal species as diverse as baboons, giraffes, dolphins, anglerfish, mallard ducks and cats, among others. The Homo sapiens species is no different.

Indeed, the more relevant question to be pondered upon is how is it possible for the entire humanity to be divided right down the middle into male and female genders? 

Birth, influence of genes/environment, physical gender, psychological gender and sexual feelings are complex factors influencing the ultimate gender/sexual expression of an individual.  This is reflected in the ever-increasing numbers of alphabets that are added to the acronym LGBTQ+ that indicates the gay community.  Therefore, reducing gender/sexuality to a binary is a reductive exercise and betrays a lack of understanding of these complexities. 

But ignorance and bigotry make for a deadly duo.  This is why gay people around the world have had to bear with insults, taunts, ostracization, victimization, discrimination, and the worst, conversion therapies.  Anybody who makes a claim that gayness can be cured like any disease is lying, and is probably operating under the influence of the deadly duo. 

Being gay is neither a disorder nor a crime.  Homosexuality has been removed from psychiatric diagnostic manuals such as the ICD-11 (devised by the World Health Organization) and the DSM-5 (devised by the American Psychiatric Association) since a long time. 

Whether it is a crime or not depends on where you are living.  There are still certain countries where the state and the majority of the population are afflicted by the deadly duo and homosexuality is considered a criminal offence.  It is not because gay people do not exist in such societies; it is just that they live a cloistered life, away from public expression.  I have seen this in students who come from a far eastern theocratic country where being gay is outlawed. 

Homosexuality is not a disease, but homophobia is!  Homosexuality is neither a lifestyle choice as surmised by upholders of traditional cultural values nor does it occur due to poor upbringing, as some parents of gay children fear it to be.  On the other hand, homophobia is a by-product of eons of erroneous cultural and religious conditioning.  Further, it can be indicative of the underlying insecurity and a 'fear of the unknown' on part of the ‘straight’ people who seem to operate under the influence of a slew of psychodynamic defence mechanisms and project these fears onto the gay community.

Ultimately though, it is all about the ego.  Families of gay people live in fear of stigma and ostracization.  Deeply affected by the diagnosis, they either live in denial of their son/daughter’s homosexuality and try to get them married, or if they do acknowledge the condition, they try to drag them along to dubious therapies in the vain hope of a ‘cure’.

This non-acceptance of homosexuality and the resulting distress caused by the attitude of their family, relatives and friends can result in gay people experiencing cognitive dissonance – a phenomenon characterized by a discord between how one feels from within and how one has to behave in the outside world.  Combine this with the guilt resulting from cultural and religious bigotry, and you will get some idea as to the pitiable state of mind that gay people have to endure for having been born that way in the wrong place and at the wrong time.    

What do the religions say?

It is most unfortunate that the LGBTQI discourse has been hijacked to some extent by 'wokeists' and pseudoliberals who never let go of an opportunity to pit it against Sanatana Dharma’s tenets, conveniently forgetting the patent homophobia that exists in prescriptive and converting religions.  

If anything, Sanatana Dharma has always been LGBTQI-friendly.  The only Hindu person who claims to have a cure for samlaingikata (that is homosexuality in Hindi), is a prominent yoga guru and Ayurvedic products manufacturer – no prizes for guessing who.  I am an admirer of his work in general, but I disagree with this claim, and I hope he desists from making such misleading claims in the future.   

Leave that aside, and you will find that our itihasas and puranas are replete with stories of LGBTQI characters who are part of the mainstream discourse and play a crucial role in the stories therein.  Mahabharata’s Shikhandini who later became Shikhandi is only one such example.  The enchanting damsel, Mohini, who tricked the Asuras into forgoing their share of the immortal nectar, Amrita, was Vishnu in a female avatar.  The Ardhanarishwara form of Lord Shiva shows Him as a union of the male and female forms.  Aiyappa, the celibate Hill-God of Kerala was born of the union of this very Mohini and Shiva.

These stores underscore the fact that everything in this universe is energy.  So, even gender should be seen as such; varying expressions of the same energy, depicted in different cultures as Purusha-Prakriti and Yin-Yang.

Further, in the Valmiki Ramayana, Lord Rama’s devotee and companion Hanuman is said to have seen rakshasa women kissing and embracing each other during his Lankan sojourn.  At another place, the Ramayana tells the tale of a king named Dilip, who had two wives, but died without leaving an heir. The story says that Lord Shiva appeared in the dreams of the widowed queens and told them that if they made love to each other, they would have a child.  The queens obeyed Lord Shiva and one of them got pregnant and gave birth to a child who grew up to be King Bhagiratha, best known for having brought Ganga from heaven to earth.

So, why did our culture that was so libertarian that it expressed sexuality on temple walls and in sex treatises become so close-minded and bigoted?

Most likely, it is due to the imposition of puritanism by western invaders/land occupiers that any matter relating to sex was severely curtailed, the crowning glory being the imposition of Article 377 by the British, which the Indian government foolishly continued even after the British themselves had legalized gay relations in their own country. 

As the scholar of Abrahamic studies, Sumit Paul, says: ‘Thousands of years of slavery and the restrictive Semitic civilisational influence transformed the collective mentality of Indians and changed their psycho-sexual behavioural ethos.  We began to condemn our own cultural heritage and history.’

It took a few enterprising NGOs to take the matter to the Supreme Court to have the article struck down.  Still, that’s only one part of the struggle; till date there are no equal civil rights to marry, or to register children/properties for gay couples (this matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court, as of April 2023). 

Spiritually, we are moving from one body to another; sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes other genders.  So, a man might have been a woman in a previous birth, and may be reborn as a transgender in the next.  So why confine yourself to this birth alone?  If you look at it from the universal and spiritual perspective, it hardly matters whether you are male, female or other. 

As per spiritual healers and masters, your soul decides which body to inhabit prior to its earthly sojourn.  You are a spirit wearing the garb of a human body, put here to do certain actions with your free will so as to facilitate your karmic journey through this birth and the next with the ultimate aim of attaining moksha.  So, focus on that, and give up your fixation with ephemeral bodily features. 

What should parents/families do?

As I have written under sex education, have an open conversation with your child at the appropriate time about their sexual preference.  Alternative sexuality is a normal variation of sex expression, just as being left-handed or grey-eyed is.  There is more to your child than just his/her sexuality; look at developing their overall personality, academic interests and any other passion.  Do not reduce their life to fretting over the fact that they may not get married or have children.  There is more to life’s purpose than these events.  Remember that not everybody is cut out to get married or have children.

Whether we like it or not, whether governments of the day dither or not, whether radical religions oppose it or not, and even if self-appointed custodians of Indian culture send missives to the President asking for equal civil rights not to be granted to the gay community, gayness always was and always will be.  It will be accepted as being part of the mainstream in the future, if not now. 

As we emerge from the heteronormative prerogative of brushing aside anything queer under the carpet, we need to figure out how to uplift 'hijras'/'eunuchs' from a marginalized lifestyle that involves begging from and harassing people at traffic signals towards a more mainstream life of gainful employment through equal opportunities.  And yes, for that matter, toilets and restrooms would also have to be redesigned to be more inclusive of the LGBTQI community.  

I envisage a future wherein intimate relations would be an optional undertaking rather than mandatory, with the individuals having a wide range of sexual/gender diversity to select their partners from. 

Resources/references:

• LGBT banner picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT
• https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/panorama/time-to-destigmatise-homosexuality-1152092.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_India#:~:text=On%207%20September%202018%2C%20a,making%20homosexuality%20legal%20in%20India.
• Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don't Tell You, Devdutt Pattanaik, Zubaan and Penguin Books India, 2014

Yoga: 'Is it validated?'

In 2015, I somehow managed to contract a gut infection and was admitted in the hospital for about 10 days.  During the prolonged recuperation period post-discharge, I resolved that I should do something about my health/immunity.  I decided to take up yoga lessons and enrolled myself at a local yoga teacher's class.

Since then I have been doing yoga asanas, pranayama, meditative exercises, walking, and mild weight training, while taking adequate quantity and quality of mostly vegetarian diet.  Even though I am not practising vigorous yogic asanas, I make sure I do them regularly - more than the duration or intensity, I score high on consistency.  Yoga has become a way of life, something that I do as a daily routine.  

This has kept me going since then without any adverse health event, bar an occasional upper respiratory infection, and I continue to maintain my weight and fitness at a reasonable level.    

I have also advised patients that I see to take up yoga to maintain health, and/or to reduce the symptoms of disorders such as anxiety and stress.  I have tried to modify my own medical practice by incorporating holistic healing techniques, including Ayurveda and yoga, in collaboration with a qualified practitioner.

However, I have also realised that yoga is fraught with misconceptions and scepticism.  Generally, I divide the naysayers into two broad groups: sceptics and bigots.  The former are those who are genuinely sceptical about the health benefits of yoga; that is, they want to do it, but are uncertain about the overall effect of doing yoga.  They are more trusting of allopathic medical systems, and cast a distrusting eye over anything eastern/oriental.  

Then there are the bigots, by which I mean adherents of dogmatic religions who have been brainwashed into believing that anything outside their own religious practice is worthy of condemnation and derision.  These are the incorrigibles who will go to any extent to discredit, vilify, demonize and discourage anything that is remotely sanatanic, be it yoga, consecrated food, worshipping images/idols, or wearing bindis, for that matter.  

I quote a few examples.  A few years ago, a pastor in the US famously called yoga a 'demonic' practice.  When I was working in the UK, an Egyptian-Arabic doctor colleague spoke very condescendingly of yoga, and was dismissive of its healing power. 

Ironically, even in India, where yoga originated yugas ago, it has been reduced to a 'new age' fad, a necessity that we have taken to vicariously because the West has taken a fancy to it.  'Whatever they do, it must be good for us too,' seems to be the thought process behind the revival of yoga in our society, reflective of the underlying western bias thanks to the Macaulayian education system that we are all products of.  

In Bangalore, at a certain missionary hospital I was working in, a physician colleague of a certain denomination, inquired if yoga was 'validated' as a treatment when I said that I was advising my patients to do yoga.  He remained sceptical even after I explained that it was, and suggested that yoga was being promoted because of the wave of saffronization that was sweeping across the country!  

His religious bias against yoga became apparent when, during a later encounter, he was all for incorporating tai chi as a therapeutic practice in the treatment of neurological movement disorders, but evidently not yoga.  Perhaps, anything that was remotely sanatanic in its origin was a strict taboo for him due to his evangelical disposition.       

I find that sceptics, bigots and allopathy-chauvinists are quick to ask if yoga is 'validated' as a therapeutic intervention, fully ignoring the fact that the so-called evidence-based allopathic interventions hardly cure chronic illnesses, and worse, cause harmful adverse effects.   

More and more studies are confirming the physical and mental health benefits of yoga, such as those conducted at the premier neurosciences centre in the country, NIMHANS (in Bangalore), which has a dedicated yoga research centre.  These studies have been published in leading Indian journals, notably, the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, and at least on one occasion, in a special yoga supplement of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

But since we seem to value western opinion so much, I shall quote examples from western studies: in 2019, researchers in the USA found that yoga and breathing exercises improved the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder after just one session, with cumulative effects in the long term [1].  A meta-analytic study published in the peer-reviewed journal in 2013, showed that yoga had beneficial effects on hypertension [2].  

If you look at the current the allopathic treatments for these very conditions, you will find that antidepressants can only increase serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels in the brain, but cannot address the root cause of depression.  Similarly, antihypertensives can symptomatically reduce the BP, but cannot cure hypertension.  Both these groups of medications are associated with their own unique side-effects. 

Researchers from Washington State and Ohio State Universities found that yoga can improve body image, which may be helpful in the treatment of eating disorders [3].  Again, there is no definitive treatment in the allopathic psychiatric system for any of the eating disorders, and mortality rate for anorexia nervosa, even with standard intervention, remains very high. 

For the sceptics among you, I would suggest that you ask yourself these questions: Is there any harm in doing yoga?  Clearly not, if done under proper guidance.  Is it beneficial for physical/mental health?  Several studies seem to indicate so.  Can it be the sole treatment for all conditions?  No, one has to judiciously use the right treatment technique for the right condition, or even combine allopathic, other complementary, or any of the yogic practices for a good therapeutic effect.  

Further, more than a therapeutic intervention, I see yoga as a preventive measure; a positive medical/psychiatric practice that can promote good health through balancing the body, mind and spirit.  Surely, with these conditions satisfied you should have no hesitation in accepting yoga as a holistic healing practice, unless religious bigotry prevents you from doing so.  

Which brings me to the bigots.  I have no solution for the bigots out there.  If bending your body a certain way in the pursuit of healthy body/mind is an affront to your religious belief, then it must be based on a very rigid and insecure premise [4], and frankly, it is your loss.  A case in point: similar sentiments were behind the decision to eliminate suryanamaskar from the very first International Yoga Day event in 2015 (but we did it anyway!).

Finally, the decision to do yoga has to come from within you.  Sanatana Dharma does not believe in enforcing any particular practice on anybody.  Watch videos and read books on the topic of yoga if you are unsure.  You can begin by reading the book Light on Life by the yoga master, B K S Iyengar, which clearly elucidates the spiritual nature of yoga.  Speak to those who are already doing it and ask if they have noticed any beneficial changes.  

And only if you are fully convinced, take up yoga classes from a trained practitioner.

Picture: How-To-Meditate-Making-The-Most-Of-Meditation.jpg (815×588) (meditationlifeskills.com)

References:

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313806681_Treatment_of_Major_Depressive_Disorder_with_Iyengar_Yoga_and_Coherent_Breathing_A_Randomized_Controlled_Dosing_Study (reported in bu.edu/brink)
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239948768_Effectiveness_of_Yoga_for_Hypertension_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-Analysis 
3. https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/1/10560/files/2020/12/Cox_Tylka_2020_Conceptual-Model.pdf (reported in PsychologyToday.com)
4. Quote attributed to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

  

Book recommendation: Laws of the Spirit World

As I have said with other book recommendations, there are times when you do not read a book for its literary merits.  Rather, you read for the content: the message it conveys and how it will affect you.  

This is one such book.

You might have wondered to yourself, what is life?  What is the purpose of our existence?  What should our life goals be?  Why do have relationship issues?  What should we avoid doing?  How are we doing in terms of achieving our goals in the phenomenal world, and in the spiritual sense?

If so, then this book is for you.

It only requires two things of you: belief and an open mind.  You won't be able to progress much if you don't believe the source of the messages contained in this book.  Secondly, if you are the ultra-rational type, who seeks a logical explanation for every occurring, then too, this is not for you.

Apart from the answers to larger issues mentioned above, here is a sample of the some of the words of wisdom that I perused in this book - spiritual mahavakyas, if you like:

• 'Yes, God exists!'
• 'Suicide is sin.'
• 'Murder is never part of God's plan.'
• 'On Earth, wise men created marriages to safeguard children...'
• 'Nothing happens before its time - so just wait and relax...'
• 'Do not be judgmental, but use your judgment.'
• 'Choose goodness for the sake of goodness itself.'
• '... all thoughts create energy, so be aware of what energy you are creating.'
• '...hope is essential to human survival.'
• 'Positivity is a choice no matter what the situation.'
• 'Fame on Earth has absolutely no value in the spirit world.'
• 'To do God's work means to use your position of strength to help others grow.'
• 'Whatever your path, learn to view it from a spiritual perspective.'
• 'Instead of feeling great, feel grateful.'

Though it is clearly mentioned in the book that 'there is no religion in the spirit world,' I could not help noting the obvious congruence of the messages with those of the scriptures of Sanatana Dharma.  

So, here are a few that indicate this:

• It is not God, but the Law of Karma that punishes us for our misdeeds.
• One can accrue both negative and positive Karma, according to the nature of our actions.
• '...reincarnation means the same spirit being born on Earth life after life.'
• 'Take action.  Do your best and leave the rest to God.'  [To me, this is a direct vindication of the overarching message of the Bhagavad Gita: do your duty and don't worry about the results.]
• 'Yoga is wonderful for the mind, body and spirit.'
• 'To know God is to know ourselves, discover who we are, and discover His goodness within us.' [Confirms the message of spiritual unity of all living beings with Brahman, as propounded by Adi Shankaracharya's Advaita philosophy]
• 'True success is spiritual success and not earthly success.' and 'Do not think of power.  Think of spiritual strength.' and 'Lead a simple, honest, kind and selfless life.'  [underpin the importance of viveka (discrimination), vairagya (non-attachment) and nishkama seva (selfless service), that are advocated for spiritual progress in Hinduism]
• 'The things that you can see are temporary; the things that are not visible are eternal.' [indicative of maya, which is the attribute of the phenomenal world that prevents us from realising Brahman, once again, from Advaita]
• 'There will come a point when Nature itself will erase negativity.'  There is also mention of 'shift of Earth's axis' and natural disasters that will wipe away negativity caused by human vice.  [comparable to pralayas (great dissolution of creation) that end each of the four yugas (time periods) mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana]

Bear in mind the spirit communications delivering these messages are from two recently deceased Parsi gentlemen to their mother.  Just like in my other book recommendation, Many Lives, Many Masters, it is reassuring for me to know that our rishis have, over the ages, given us the message of spiritual enhancement, which is only recently being vindicated by non-Hindu thinkers/writers and through scientific studies. 

Even if you are a sceptic, it wouldn't hurt to learn through the messages conveyed in this book and put them into practice, if only to become a better human being.

Highly recommended reading from an early age, so that we know what really matters in life and over what pursuits we need to invest our time and energy during our lifetime. 

Thank you, Vispi, Ratoo, Khorshedji and Rumiji.  May you reach the highest Universe and Realm.

Image source: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514KGkGN84L.jpg

Re Osho: book & film conversations

Was Osho killed?  Murdered by the US government?  

That's the thought that remains with you as you finish Osho's 'autobiography'.  Although Osho has been credited as the author of Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic, it has been put together by his followers.  I was interested in finding out about the life of the man behind all those seemingly outrageous opinions and meditative techniques.  And it makes for a fascinating read.

Equally fascinating, and some might say, titillating, are the 2 Netflix documentaries on Osho: Wild Wild Country and Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & His Bodyguard.

From these readings and viewings, the philosophy of the most charismatic spiritual leaders of our times becomes apparent - somewhat.  It is not possible to glean his entire thought process and methodology even if you happened to be a close confidante.

Perhaps, in many ways, it is meant to be that way.  Spiritual mystics are meant to be inscrutable and unfathomable - one of Osho's methods was to shock/titillate his followers into some kind of awakening.

Hence you find him, at various times, being jovial, being disinhibited, being cantankerous, lashing out at religious practices, advocating dynamic meditation, advising followers to have sexual contact with each other, owning a fleet of Rolls Royces, using drugs, etc, etc. 

But at no other time was his controversial philosophy debated, abhorred and targeted more than during his disastrous stay in America.  This is addressed very well in the 2 documentaries, especially in the 6-part Wild Country. 

One can't help wondering, in hindsight, why his secretaries ever select this place for his commune?  Did they honestly believe that the conservative Christian local population would put up with such practices as personal meditation and sexual expression (as opposed to repression)?  

Promptly, the Americans - both the general public and the legal/administrative leaders - reacted as they continue to do towards anything that they see as a threat to their faith, culture and nationhood (remember WMD?).  They came down like a ton of bricks on the nascent community with multiple legal proceedings and forced Osho to agree to flee US.  

His commune did not help its own cause with its in-your-face attitude and infighting - mostly by Osho and his two groups of close confidantes.  When it mattered most, Osho himself could have practised silence, as he most often did in his commune.  But he came out with allegations against his secretary, Ma Ananda Sheela, which opened the doors to the final, decisive legal proceedings.  

What's not shown in the documentaries (but is mentioned in the book) is that Osho was hounded by the US, and had to move from country to country after his legal settlement in US because he was denied asylum wherever he landed.  Sadly, he experienced this even in India, thanks to the bullying tactics by the 'Policeman of the World'.  It is particularly disgusting to know how the US president arm-twisted the president of the one country that did give him asylum - Uruguay (by threatening to impose sanctions), and compelled him to expel Osho.  

As if that weren't enough, it is also said that Osho died from the effects of thallium poisoning carried out by the US state during his incarceration in US jails.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Vatican influenced the US government in persecuting Osho, as later media reports speculated.  

Coming to more positive findings from my Osho study.  Osho's philosophy struck me as being crystal clear with regards to what matters and what does not in spiritual life.  This is evident even from his early life experiences.  In the book, he gives a vivid description of his enlightenment moment.  

There are also hilarious anecdotes of how the child Osho confronted a Jain monk at his grandparents' house with unanswerable questions; and how he conducted his classes when he later became professor at a college - very informally and irreverently, much to the chagrin of his exasperated principal.  He also gives rational explanations to most of his seemingly outlandish whims and fancies. 

Osho dedicates a chapter to understanding mental health issues, as they are studied and practised in the West.  He says, 'Sigmund Freud introduced psychoanalysis into the world.  It is rooted in analyzing the mind.  It is confined to the mind... The goal of Freudian psychoanalysis is not very great.  The goal is to keep people normal.  But normality is not enough...'  Instead, Osho advocates standing out of one's mind - or ecstasy, or transcending the mind itself.  

Broadly, I agree with two particular philosophies of Osho: his critique of organised religions, and the need to address repressed emotions and sexual impulses.  

Osho is unsparing in his criticism of organised religions; none of the major religions of India and the world escape his irreverence towards them.  And here's the thing - his criticism does not feel exaggerated; indeed one would be hard-pressed to come up with an acceptable counter-argument to his criticism.  Basically, Osho advocates stripping Faith of all its unhelpful coverings - rituals, rigidities and falsehoods - leaving only the spiritual core that really matters. 

For repressed emotions, he advocates (among many others) a meditative technique that involves 'boiling up' oneself through rapid breathing, letting go of pent up and repressed emotions through crying/yelling/thrashing out, and finally observing a period of silence.  

He rightly points out that it is only after these repressed emotions are sublimated, the mind becomes conducive to meditation, which requires stillness and silence from within. 

 

Some of the other Osho gems that I picked up from the book are given here:

On learning:

• Why is every language called the mother tongue?  Because the mother speaks and the father listens - and that's how the children learn.  That's how I learned.

On living life:

• Once you are ready to say, "I don't care about respectability," then the society is absolutely impotent to do anything against your will.

On religion:

• All holy books are corpses, dead flowers and nothing else... Truth, the living truth, has to be discovered by each individual by himself.  Nobody can give it to you.

• The moment truth is organized, it becomes a lie.  An organized religion is nothing but a hidden politics, a deep exploitation by the priesthood.  They may be shankaracharyas, imams, rabbis, or popes - it makes no difference.

• True religion has no name, it cannot have any name.  Buddha lived, Jesus lived it - but remember Jesus was not a Christian and Buddha was not a Buddhist, he had never heard of the word.  The truly religious people have been simply religious, they have not been dogmatic.  

• ...Christianity has not developed the science of meditation in any way.  It has remained a very mediocre religion; so is Judaism.

On meditation:

• Enlightenment is a very individual process.  Every person passes through different phases, because every person in many lives has gathered different kinds of conditionings.

• You cannot do meditation, you can only be in meditation... Dhyana is dropping all contents of the mind and just being.

Osho's message:

• I am an incurable dreamer.  But I can say to you that whatever I have dreamed in my life, I have managed it without doing anything.  Just a proposal to existence.

• Be in the world, but don't be of it.  Live in the world, but don't allow the world to live in you.  That's my message...

So, here's what I have to say:

Osho may have been killed.  But Osho-hood continues to thrive, and draw in adherents by the millions; his message lives on.  You can adore Osho; you can hate Osho.  But ignore him and his message at your own peril.

Image sources: 

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61695TrLHJL.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Wild_Wild_Country.png

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTYwMTg0NTk0N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTMwNDk5Mw@@._V1_.jpg

https://realization.org/img/osho.3.1500.jpg

Book conversations: Between the Serpent and the Rope

For those of us who are spiritual aspirants, it is common practice to familiarize ourselves with the various spiritual folds and tenets, especially in the early exploratory phase.  

This, in essence, is the subject matter of this book.  Mukunda Rao records his own experiences from his peregrinations of famous spiritually important places of South India.  

Rao moves from Kalady (birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya), to Arunachalam (Ramana Maharshi's place), to Auroville in Pondicherry (home of the Aurobindo movement), to Puttaparthi (the Satya Sai Baba stronghold), to Mata Amritanandamayi's ashram, to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living campus, to Adyar (Jiddu Krishnumurti's main place of work in India), to finally finish with U G Krishnamurti's timeless, dogma-less, disciple-less and ashram-less concept of spirituality.

In so doing, Rao combines the details of his stay at and encounter with the people of these places, the rise and fall of the prominent religious/spiritual figureheads of some of these places, and his own take on the philosophies expounded by each of these gurus.  The result is a book that is at once a travelogue, a series of biographies, and an elucidation of the different spiritual theories of South India. 

Intriguingly, Rao comments on the failure/modification/misinterpretation/inadequacy of some of these philosophies, and the blind hero-worship that persists even after the founder-philosopher is no more.  Thus the idea behind the movement assumes gigantic proportions, and subsumes and supersedes even the founder-philosopher (for example - and this is my own take - the two Abrahamic religions; Christianity and Islam). 

In many ways, the preceding chapters are a build up to U G Krishnamurti's simple yet radical and difficult-to-grasp take on enlightenment; or Natural State, as he called it.  The added advantage Rao has is that he has met and interacted with the great man himself.

For the sake of completion, Rao (though I understand that he did not visit these places) could have included the accounts of Swami Nityananda's palaver and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's simple yet profound spiritual messages.  

To me, this work also goes to show the richness and variety of spiritual thoughts and practices that exist in this great land of ours for a spiritual aspirant explore and select from - and we are only talking South India here.

Eminently readable!

Also read my review of Rao's other book on Akka Mahadevi, along with my interview of the author.




Image source: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uixCEmUsL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Three subhuman incidents...

Recently three shameful incidents have once again left us grappling with the subhuman side of our society.  

All three have been caught on camera or displayed on social media extensively...

(In all the three cases, the images/videos are too disturbing to show, which is why I have gone with a blurred out image of the first incident...)

Firstly, there is that awful molestation video wherein a pack of rabid subhumans attack a couple of hapless women, who, as in other sexual assault cases, find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong company.  

If social media reports are to be believed, all the men involved in the attack belong to a certain religion, but the mainstream media placed the blame squarely at the Chief Minister's door for the incident, and did not name these vermin.  

It is all very well to blame the government of the day, but why not also include the full details?  What is stopping the media from naming and shaming the vermin?  Isn't it the job of an impartial media house to present the whole story?  

Anyway, let's hope that the government/police/courts take suitable action and bring the vermin to justice.  I hope the authorities realise that it is the lack of appropriate response that encourages the vermin to carry out brazen attacks such as these.

Second; how about some beef, roadside?  Courtesy, the peaceful denizens of 'god's own country'; those that are also the members of the 'grand old party of the country'. 

This is just the problem with banning anything.  It creates the ideal atmosphere for subaltern subhumans such as those that slaughtered the calf to come out of the woodwork and garner cheap publicity.  Who knew about that youth leader - yes, the very same who is seen in some pictures with the 'youthful' scion of the dynasty - before this heinous act was carried out?  

In all this, I feel for the innocent animal that was literally sacrificed at the altar of sinister political machinations.  Veering as I am towards veganism, I would suggest that it is not just the cows/cattle that need our protection, but all living beings.  This is also why I am not in favour of the 'beef ban' per se.  

One also has to lament the state of affairs in the most literate and progressive southern state.  By the looks of it, it is also being painted red - literally and politically - by the subhumans, and may well end up with the tag, 'devil's own country'.

I hope the animal rights activists overcome their selective blindness, and initiate action against these subhumans.

Third, but by no means the least uncouth: public humiliation of Hindu god.  

You cannot conjure up a more ironical situation if you wanted to.  Apparently members of a certain reservation-seeking group that is named after Bhima spat on a picture of Hanuman before hitting it with slippers.  Both Bhima and Hanuman, in case you missed the point, are avataras of mukhyaprana - or Vayu, the Wind God.  

Couple of quick points on this incident: here's an invitation to the subhuman group members to do the same to the pictures of a certain black stone belonging to a certain religion.  Oh yes...they may decline the invite, because they are smart enough to realise that they will be beheaded before put on trial.  Once again, the magnanimity and tolerance of Sanatana Dharma has been taken advantage of.  

The other point is about the root cause for this evil display: caste and reservations.  When we are looking at having a uniform civil code and a uniform tax policy for the entire country, why hold on to this outdated practice of favouring a less deserving candidate over a meritorious one?  

Let's hope the present government gets rid of reservations altogether.  And somebody, please file a PIL on this subhuman group.  

I am also, in the meantime, waiting for the highly secular award-wapsi gang members to start returning their worthless awards in protest against these three subhuman incidents...  

High hopes!!    

Image source: http://images.financialexpress.com/2017/05/Rampur-Molestation-ANI.jpg

Book recommendation: If Truth Be Told

Extraordinary, unbelievable, uplifting!

This is not a review; it is a recommendation.  Like a few others that I have had the privilege to write about this one too is special.

What is also special is the manner in which it landed in my hands.  I had no idea about Om Swami prior to reading this, much less about this book.  

It so happened that the management of the Shankar Mutt in the area I live decided to build a library of spiritual and religious books in its new building.  Advertisements went out seeking donations in cash and kind from devotees, followers and local residents.  I too donated a few books for the cause.  As I was browsing through the books donated by others, I chanced upon this title.  There were plenty of other titles that I was considering perusing, but I was immediately drawn to this book.  Just as the saying goes that the story selects its author, in all likelihood the book also selects its reader.  Perhaps it was so in this case.

Like Sri M's autobiography and Swami Rama's story, this one too takes you along on an extraordinary journey.  Perhaps it is even more unbelievable because the Swami, in his earlier life had it all, as far as material comforts are concerned, and then chose to give it all away.

He had a loving family, he was educated, he had friends, money, and a high flying career.  Of course, he worked hard to build his career out of scratch in a foreign country.  This in itself is nothing short of a tapas of another kind.  Most would have been content with what he achieved through sheer hard work, grit and determination, and many would have basked in the comfort and luxury that such a career provided.  

Not our Swami.  His eyes were set on quite a different target altogether.  Apparently it was foretold; his Mother reveals as much to him towards the end.  But he still had to give up on his riches and comfort, reach out to the wilderness and seek out gurus who would be able to guide him on his spiritual quest.  Indeed such was his determination, that he even lets his friends and associates know that he won't be coming back until he has found his true Self.  

His quest for the apt guru, and his experience with the one he thinks is the right guru for him, are nothing short of extraordinary.  The guru that he finds is himself a fascinating character, as on one hand he initiates the novice seeker after seeking his Mother's permission, but on the other hand asks for his disciple's monetary assistance in furthering his own cause.  He is prone to swearing, living a comfortable life, and involving himself in worldly affairs.  

It is because of this adventure, wherein the Swami dares to seek out the spiritual in a material world, and the subsequent confusion and disillusionment that he is faced with, that we get to learn just how difficult it is for a genuine seeker not to get conned or ripped off.    

His sadhana in the Himalayan wilderness while he is faced with the vagaries of weather and hostilities of man and beast alike is awe inspiring.  When he finally achieves his goal, and is face to face with the object of his adulation, one cannot help feel a sense of beatific fulfillment on his behalf.  

In many ways, he has lived the tough life, so that all of us could benefit from his experiences which he generously shares with us.

And for that we need to bow down to him and seek his help and guidance in our own quests.  

This is essential reading for every genuine seeker.



Image source: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430049214l/23905586.jpg

Why I love Bharatvarsh

Over the course of its earthly peregrinations from a unified state as Pangaea, to Jambudvipa, to its present state with its own identity, our Bharatvarsh has made many glorious contributions to humanity.  

The invention of zero, for example.  Also Sushruta’s pioneering efforts in surgery, Brahmagupta's mastery in mathematics, Aryabhata’s contribution to astronomy, or Baudhayana’s discovery of the theorem, which we know today as Pythagoras’ theorem.

Or how about J C Bose’s discovery of life in plants, C V Raman’s experiment on light scattering, which is called Raman Effect, Vikram Sarabhai’s space project which ultimately led to the present day Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, or A P J Abdul Kalam’s work on developing the ballistic missile?

In the field of arts and literature too, there have been innumerable luminaries who have enriched our culture with their contributions.  Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam and Meghdoot, Chanakya’s Arthashastra, Bharata Muni’s treatise on dance, Natya Shastra that led to the dance form, Bharatanatyam, and Tagore’s Gitanjali and Rabindra Sangeet, to name a few.

Yes, we are filled with pride when we listen to the heroic tales of Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Bhagat Singh.  We are immediately satiated when we listen to a Lata-Rafi duet, A R Rahman’s music, or Amitabh Bachchan’s filmi dialogues in his rich baritone.  We cannot contain our joy when we witness a Sachin Tendulkar century, or for that matter, when Sania Mirza wins yet another world title.  We jump with joy when Sushmita Sen wins the Miss Universe, and Aishwarya Rai the Miss World title.

India today is home to one of the largest community of intellectuals; doctors, engineers, economists and scientists.  After years of subjugation, we are witnessing the growth of economy, and our clout among the nations of the world is growing by the day. 

All that is fine.  I am filled with happiness to note all these achievements. 

But for me, quite apart from any of these, there is another reason why I love this land. 

Its spiritual history. 

There simply cannot be another place on this planet or any other for that matter, where so many spiritually advanced adepts, yogis, sadhus, saints, seers and gurus took birth, breathed, lived, meditated, attained moksha, and showed others the light. 

I don’t think I can take all the names of the saints of our land; there isn’t enough time or space for that.  I can only quote a few shining examples that I have had the good fortune of reading about. 

In the south of Bharatvarsh, Adi Sankara took birth in Kalady, a quiet little town on the banks of the Poorna River.  He traversed the length and breadth of the land, took disciples, debated with scholars on philosophical systems, consecrated four matthas in four corners of India, and finally ascended the Throne of Omniscience in Kashmir.  By the time he had achieved all this – 32 years of age – he had firmly established the advaita school of thought, which clearly elucidates the oneness of the atma and the paramatma.  I call him the Hero of Hinduism.

In much more recent times, another southern luminary, the Saint of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi quietly went about practising and preaching his method of self-enquiry, and miraculously healing those who approached him with such conditions as tetanus, leprosy, terminal cancer, and in one instance, even death.  However, when he was afflicted with sarcoma towards the end of his earthly tenure, he refused to heal himself as his physical condition was a result of taking on his devotees’ karma. 

In the west of the country, around the 13^th Century, scores of saints took birth in the holy land of Maharashtra.  Pandharpur became the epicentre of the bhakti movement started by these illustrious sons and daughters of the soil, many of whom were ordinary peasants.  The child-saint of Alandi, Jnaneshwar and his siblings, were orphans and outcastes, but their life was full of miraculous achievements, and culminated in Jnaneshwari – the gift of the Bhagavad Gita written in the colloquial language, Marathi, for the benefit of the masses. 

Namadeva, the son of a tailor, made the Lord drink milk from his hands even when he was a little boy, while Gora Kumbhar, the potter, so lost himself in divine ecstasy that he once trampled his own child in a mound of clay (the child was eventually restored to him by the Lord Himself).  Sawata Mali sang his abhangs (devotional compositions) while tending his garden, and Chokhamela who was an untouchable, was so close to Lord Vitthala that a priest, who slapped him for transgressing a social norm, was aghast to find that the Lord’s cheek was swollen, instead!  It is said of Tukaram that he went away to the Lord's Abode, Vaikuntha, in a vimana (aircraft) of the Lord. 

Likewise, Eknath, Bhanudas, Kanhopatra, Santaji Pawar, Raka Kumbhar, Narhari Sonar, Janabai, and many, many more have sanctified our land with their holy presence.  Indeed, this is probably the real reason for the epithet, ‘maha’ in Maharashtra (= Great State). 

In the northern part of Bharatvarsh, Tulsidas retold the timeless story of Ram and Sita in his Ramcharitmanas, whereas Surdas preferred to become blind again after he beheld the vision of his ishtadevta, Lord Krishna, just once.  Another great devotee of Krishna, Meera, gave us many bhajans (devotional compositions) that are soaked with devotional fervour and longing for union with her Lord. 

Many more adepts and yogis of the north have made the places of pilgrimage touched by the Ganga and the mystical loftiness of the Himalayas their home, and have inspired others through their tapas and sadhana.  Even today, the ageless Maha Avatar Guru Babaji is said to be present in the Himalayas, showering his grace on those worthy of it. 

As Diana L. Eck has said about the tirthasthals of Bharatvarsh,

…what is clear from the study of Hindu India is that its geographical features – its rivers, mountains, hills, and coastlands – no matter how precisely rendered, mapped, or measured, are also charged with stories of gods and heroes.  It is a resonant, sacred geography.    

Moving to the eastern part of this sacred geography, one is touched by the story of the Saint of Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who answered his would-be student, Naren’s query about whether he has seen God, thus: ‘Yes, I have seen God.  I see Him as I see you here, only more clearly..!’  

In the same sacred geography, about a hundred years before the time of the Paramahansa, Baba Lokenath Brahmachari attained such a level of oneness with the universal spirit, that he once chastised an untamed lion for wandering into his ashram’s premises, patted it affectionately, and sent it along its way back into the forest! 

It is not just the seers of one faith that lit up the path of their followers in Bharatvarsh.  Guru Nanak spoke against blind beliefs and superstitions, while Kabir, Sai Baba of Shirdi and Shishunala Sharif, unified people of all castes and religions.  Buddha advised followers to find their own way in attaining liberation from pain and suffering, while Mahavira gave the five ethical principles for his followers to achieve emancipation.  Dargahs of Sufi peers (Chishti, Auliya, Makhdum Shah and many more) dot the landscape, and Velankanni in the south is just one of the blessed places of pilgrimage for many Christians.

Madhvacharya (who propounded dvaita), Ramanujacharya (vishishtadvaita), Guru Raghavendra, Nammalvar, Kanakadasa, Purandaradasa, Basaveshwara, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Akkalkot Maharaj, Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar Giri, Paramahansa Yogananda, Maheshwarnath Babaji, Bengali Baba, Swami Rama, Mahayogi Gambhirnath, Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Anandamayi Ma, Paramahansa Ram Mangal Das…  One could go on and on; the list is endless.

This phenomenon is not confined to the glorious past of Bharatvarsh.  Even today, genuine saints are quietly carrying on with their sadhana, unseen, unheard, and away from the bustle of daily life.   

 

Truly we are blessed to have been born on this holy land.  For me, these stories provide the real meaning to that song by Iqbal, Saare jahan se achcha…

Unfortunately, the current educational system of Bharatvarsh is western in its outlook, and worldly and phenomenal in what it imparts, leaving our children vulnerable to de-culturation and narrow minded religious influences.  I feel that we would be failing in our duty if we do not inculcate a sense of respect and a spirit of inquiry towards our spiritual heritage in our children, by teaching them life lessons from the experiences of the spiritual masters.  

Many works have been consulted in writing this panegyric on the spiritual preeminence of Bharatvarsh.  Indeed, these can be recommended – from an inexhaustible list of resources – for further reading if one is interested in learning from the lives of these saints and about spirituality in Bharatvarsh:

• Sankara Digvijaya: Madhav Vidyaranya
• Saints of Maharashtra: Savitribai Khanolkar
• Autobiography of a Yogi: Paramahansa Yogananda
• Yogis of India: Sivarupa
• Vivekananda A Biography: Swami Nikhilananda
• Bhakti Schools of Vedanta: Swami Tapasyananda
• India A Sacred Geography: Diana L. Eck
• Apprenticed to a HimalayanMaster: Sri M
• Living with the Himalayan Masters: Swami Rama
• Scientist's Search for Truth: Swami Virajeshwara
• Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji: A P J Abdul Kalam

In keeping with this glorious spirit of guru-shishya parampara and universal oneness propounded in Sanatana Dharma, we offer this humble presentation of Sanskrit shlokas: 

https://youtu.be/DdtYz01xjOc

Image sources:

https://www.sringeri.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/adi-shankaracharya2.jpg

http://www.awaken.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ramana-and-money-300x300.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/2950/15453284916_f7e9c0d91d_z.jpg

http://www.mukteshwartemple.com/media/gallery/saint-chokhamela.jpg

https://media.zenfs.com/en_IN/News/Astroyogi/Tulsidas-JAyanti.jpg

http://www.chittorgarh.com/picturegallery/images/Mira-Bai-3.jpg?autoplay=1

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Ramakrishna_image_cropped.jpg

http://www.loknathbaba.com/english/images/ph-9.jpg

Freedom: Is this the India we want?

I am writing this on the morning of 2^nd October.  Gandhiji’s favourite hymns and bhajans are playing in the background.  Later in the day, the film Gandhi will be shown on television, just as it is shown every year this day. 

The day’s newspaper carries the screaming headline: the family of the man who was lynched for eating beef demands CBI probe, and eight families flee the village where he was living.  The irony is inescapable.

Is this the India Gandhiji would have wanted to see?  Is this the India you and I want? 

Over the last few months, there have been several instances of intolerance and superstitious practices that have made headline news.  No doubt, there are regional issues at play in the occurrence of each of these incidents, but taken collectively, they are indicative of the hypocrisy and misplaced sense of importance ascribed to certain matters that we hold dear.

Yes, go-raksha is important, but don’t we also come across several abandoned cows roaming our streets, blocking traffic, sitting in filth, and eating garbage?  If we were genuinely concerned about the animal’s well-being, there would not be a single stray cow in our urban areas. 

Why should the culinary habits of certain communities affect our sentiments so much anyway?  How different is the imposition of beef ban from ‘non-believers’ being forced to refrain from eating in public during the fasting month in middle-eastern countries? 

Besides, why confine your daya to the cow only?  Doesn’t Sanatana Dharma consider every living being to be an aspect of the divine?  Therefore, shouldn’t we be saving all animals; dogs, cows, donkeys, buffaloes, and birds in cages from a life of bondage and abuse?

A prominent weekly magazine recently reported that in a southern state – where animal sacrifice during religious festivals is rampant – there has been a spate of human sacrifices.  At least two individuals – a man and a child – were found murdered with their throats slit, and the paraphernalia of ritual worship were lying all around them. 

In another harrowing incident, this time in another southern state, a mother who went looking for her missing son, was shocked to find his body parts in her neighbour’s house.  The man had enticed the child into entering his house and carried out the deed.  Vigilantes later caught hold of the man and attempted to burn him. 

I can almost visualize the missionary exhorting his gullible audience: “Is this the kind of religion that you want to belong to?  Give up your barbaric faith, you heathen, and repent while you can!  Join the only true path and save your souls!!”

Hold on Mr Missionary.  Let’s look at what your brethren from a northeastern state have been up to.  Members of a certain NGO have apparently taken it upon themselves to “cleanse the society of homosexuals”.  As part of the anti-LGBT drive, volunteers have pledged to go door-to-door to “bring them back” to “proper culture”.  Further, they said, “we believe in God; as per our teachings, homosexuality is a wrongful deed, we want males to be like males and females to be like females.”

Over the last few months, as many as three rationalists have been shot dead, allegedly for publicly airing their opinions.  The fact that dissent and debate have been time-honoured components of free speech in India doesn’t seem to matter anymore.  Or perhaps, this must be a sign of emasculation; if you are unable to counter the rationalist’s view with a sane counter-argument, get rid of the source of the problem itself. 

Why does somebody else’s culture, dietary habits, sexuality and opinions rankle us so much?  Are we so insecure that differences such as these should erode our sense of acceptance, tolerance and peaceful coexistence? 

If our culture, religion and society do not evolve, and instead rigidly hold on to pietistic and deadwood practices, we would be in serious danger of turning into Taliban-land.  Or an ISIS-controlled state.  And that is the last thing we would ever want.  Before it is too late, we need to shun the narrowness, the hypocrisy, the superstition, and the intolerance.

Speaking of hypocrisy, the media should also accord equal importance to misdemeanours committed by adherents of all faiths.  Focusing entirely on the antics of a few fringe elements of the majority religion takes the attention away from the fruitful work that the present government is carrying out, which is so much better than that of the previous ridiculous government.  And the same request goes out to the 'civil' society of India, authors included.

So, to answer the question, this is not the India I want.  I want my religion and country to be free in every sense of the word.  How about you?   




Image sources:

http://www.livemint.com/rf/Image-621x414/LiveMint/Period1/2015/03/04/Photos/bee-kKrH--621x414@LiveMint.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Gay_Pride_Flag.svg/261px-Gay_Pride_Flag.svg.png

Book conversations: Classic Khushwant Singh

When it is a Khushwant Singh book, I just read.  Not because of the gossipy nature of the grand old man's writing, but because he is the grand old man of Indian literature.  Now of course, he is the late grand old man, which only adds to be appeal.

This compendium of four of Singh's best stories was initially put together 1996.  This edition is big - at 851 pages - and, like the man himself towards his end days, appears delicate and old.  Some of the thinly cut pages are coming undone, especially towards the latter half of the book.

Nevertheless, it is the content that we are more interested in.  If there is one theme that unites all these disparate stories, it is the British Raj.  And Partition.  Did I mention sex?  Yes, that too.  In fact, oodles of it!  As Singh himself says in his introduction to Delhi, the story is 'injected [with] a lot of seminal fluid'.  It appears that the grand old man could not help reverting to his favourite preoccupation, .  No wonder he turned out to be the grand old man, because sex (in addition to Scotch) seems to have increased his longevity significantly.  

Train to Pakistan is based right in the middle of Partition, and talks about the gradual deterioration of relations between neighbours of the same village, those belonging to different communities; Sikh and Muslim.  I Shall... tells the story of a Sikh family during the British Raj, in which the father is loyal to the British, and the son is a bit of a revolutionary seeking freedom from oppression.  Here, it is the character of the mother that is interesting to me, because it is reminiscent of Singh's own grandmother, who was known to be a pious lady with a lot of spiritual experiences.  

Delhi on the other hand is about his favourite city and its bloody history.  Singh apparently worked on Delhi for nearly 20 years, and has put together the accounts of the poet, Mir Taqi Meer, Timur, Nadir Shah, Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the 1857 uprising (both of which remind one of William Dalrymple's searing account of The Last Mughal), construction of Lutyens' Delhi, Indira Gandhi's assassination and the subsequent massacre of Sikhs in Delhi.

However it is his interspersing of his affair with an eunuch, Bhagmati with the history of Delhi that brings his irreverence to the fore, and perhaps serves as an allegorical reference to Delhi's emasculation at the hands of various invaders and tyrants over the years.   

In the last story, Burial..., Singh appears to have based his characters loosely on the 'first' family of Indian politics; especially Nehru & Indira.  Singh's irreverence and atheistic tendencies - even though he kept the external appearance of a Sikh throughout his life - is evident here.  Hence, we have a tantric sadhvi who bathes naked in the river with her pet tiger and has a sexually charged affair with a rich industrialist, and a yoga teacher who is seduced by his student, the daughter of the industrialist.

As always, through all these stories, Singh's preoccupation with four issues is apparent: sex in its various inglorious manifestations, death and the rituals that follow thereafter, religious irreverence, and a scatological obsession with the workings of the bowels and their products.

He dedicates an entire chapter to the last issue in Delhi.  Going back to the first issue, it seems that Singh liked his women with ample tops and voluminous posteriors.  And believe me, the description of both the issues is a lot more colourful in Singh's writing!



Image source: http://img6a.flixcart.com/image/book/1/6/9/classic-khushwant-singh-original-imadzqazqucpe76w.jpeg